Chapter 11Forest and mountains
Chapter 11 · Situations and settings · 12 min read

Forest and mountains

Most emergencies in the backcountry start the same way: a short hike, without a plan, that drags on. You wander off the trail, evening falls, the weather changes, and suddenly you are cold, thirsty, and do not know where you are. This chapter covers what is specific to forest and mountains: what to do when you are lost, how to move over difficult terrain, cross rivers, protect yourself from lightning, coexist with wildlife, and recognize altitude sickness. For general techniques, see the earlier chapters: water (chapter 3), fire (chapter 4), shelter (chapter 5), food (chapter 6), first aid (chapter 7), and navigation and signaling (chapter 8).

The essentials · if you only have a minute
  • If you are lost, stop. Sit down, breathe, think. Moving without direction takes you farther from those looking for you.
  • Stay in a visible place if someone knows your route. It is easier to find you when you are still than when you are moving.
  • If you hear thunder, lightning can reach you. Get down from summits and ridges, and move away from water and isolated trees. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder.
  • Do not cross a swollen river. If in doubt, wait: many drop within hours. Unbuckle your pack's hip belt before crossing.
  • Black bear attacks: fight back. Brown bear/grizzly attacks: play dead (and fight back if the attack continues). Cougar: never run, make yourself big, fight back if it attacks.
  • A headache at altitude = altitude sickness until proven otherwise. Do not go higher. If it gets worse, or there is confusion or shortness of breath at rest, descend immediately.
  • In canyons and mountain river country, the number one danger is water: rivers can rise more than 20 feet (6 m) in less than an hour.

In this chapter

11.1Before you go: what gets you found if you get lost1 min read0/611.2If you get lost2 min read11.3Terrain2 min read11.4Lightning2 min read11.5Wildlife3 min read0/611.6Altitude sickness2 min read11.7Mountain weather1 min read11.8Common mistakes1 min read
Chapter sources (1)
  1. 1.FM 21-76 / ATP 3-50.21, Survival — Ejército de EE. UU. 2.Lightning Safety Tips and Resources; Lightning Crouch — National Weather Service — https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-tips ; https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-crouch 3.JetStream: Lightning Safety — NOAA — https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/lightning-safety 4.Safe River Crossings — National Park Service — https://www.nps.gov/articles/safe-river-crossings.htm 5.Bear Attacks; Staying Safe Around Bears — National Park Service — https://www.nps.gov/articles/bearattacks.htm ; https://www.nps.gov/ subjects/bears/safety.htm 6.Mountain Lion Safety — National Park Service — https://www.nps.gov/articles/mountain-lion-safety.htm ; Big Bend: https://www.nps.gov/ bibe/learn/nature/mt-lions.htm 7.Increased black bear activity in the Trans-Pecos region — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (vía TSCRA) — https://tscra.org/increased- black-bear-activity-observed-in-trans-pecos-region/ 8.Feral hog encounters (declaraciones de TPWD y Texas A&M AgriLife) — KSAT — https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2019/11/28/feral-hog- attacks-are-rare-heres-what-you-should-do-if-you-encounter-one 9.High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness (CDC Yellow Book) — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/environmental-hazards-risks/ high-altitude-travel-and-altitude-illness.html 10.Flooding safety — NWS Nashville — https://www.weather.gov/ohx/flooding 11.Texas Hill Country flooding, julio de 2025 — FOX Weather — https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/texas-hill-country-flooding- disaster-kerr-county-heartbreak-loss-deadly-guadalupe-river-2025